Israel Allows Transport of Gaza Produce to West Bank for First Time Since 2007

A Palestinian man looks out from his heavily damaged house at neighbouring houses reduced to rubble after the Israeli offensive in the east of Gaza City.(Reuters)

Israel has permitted Palestinian farmers to transfer produce from the Gaza Strip to the occupied West Bank, through Israel, for the first time in seven years.

Israeli authorities said that the shipments of produce were geared towards rebuilding the blockaded enclave's economy after the seven-week conflict with Israel in the summer.

Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which organises the shipments from territory to territory, confirmed in a statement that 10 tonnes of cucumbers had been delivered to the West Bank city of Hebron with a dispatchment of fish to be sent on Sunday.

A Palestinian official confirmed that the delivery went through Israel's Kerem Shalom crossing point with Gaza.

After the two deliveries had been made, it was unclear how many more would be sent, the official added.

Israel has blockaded the territory since Hamas gained control of the territory in 2007 and restricts the movements of goods through the Gaza border because of perceived security concerns emanating from the Islamist militant faction.

In the seven-week Gaza conflict, over 2,100 Palestinians - mostly civilians - lost their lives. All but five of the 68 Israeli fatalities were soldiers.